Just add soda bread to classic slow cooker Irish Guinness Beef Stew | Chula King

Craving a hearty Irish meal that's easy to prepare? Look no further than this Slow Cooker Irish Guinness Beef Stew!

This fuss-free recipe lets your slow cooker work its magic, simmering tender beef, potatoes, and carrots in a rich Guinness gravy. The result? A delicious and flavorful stew that's perfect for a cozy night in or a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Don't forget to serve it with easy-to-make Irish soda bread for a complete Irish feast.

Recipe: St. Patrick's Day is the perfect time to try corned beef and cabbage

Why you'll love this recipe

Convenience: Slow cooker Irish Guinness Beef Stew is the ultimate in convenience when you want a hands-off cooking experience with maximum flavor.

Rich Flavor: This beef stew is packed with flavor from the melt-in-your mouth beef, and tender vegetables simmered in a rich and delicious Guinness gravy. The result is a comfort food at its best.

Traditional Ingredients: This stew includes classic Irish ingredients for a comforting and traditional Irish stew.

Make-Ahead: This hearty stew can be made ahead of time, allowing for its preparation in advance for busy days or special occasions like St. Patrick’s Day. It can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

The fork-tender beef, hearty vegetables, and rich Guinness gravy make this perfect for a cozy meal or a festive St. Patrick’s Day gathering. So grab a spoon, dig in, and get ready to dance a little jig after enjoying this traditional Irish fare.

Recipe: Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with traditional Irish soda bread

Slow Cooker Irish Guinness Beef Stew

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds of chuck roast trimmed of fat and cut into 1?-inch chunks

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups of chopped onions (2 large onions)

4? cups low-sodium beef broth, divided

1? cups Guinness Draught, divided

1 Tablespoon light brown sugar

1 teaspoon dried thyme

5 carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about a pound)

1? pounds of baby red or baby gold potatoes cleaned. If large, cut the potatoes so that the chunks are about 1?-inches

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3 to 4 Tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Pat the beef dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat two teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook single layers of beef in batches until browned on all sides for about eight minutes; add 2 more teaspoons of oil if necessary. Transfer the browned beef to a slow cooker.

Add the remaining two teaspoons of oil, onions, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the skillet and cook the onions until lightly browned for about 5 minutes. Add the beef broth, 1? cups of Guinness Draught, sugar, and thyme; bring to boil, using a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits. Transfer to the slow cooker.

Add the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until the meat is fork-tender, 9 to 10 hours on low or 6 to 7 hours on high.

Uncover the slow cooker; remove the beef, carrots, and potatoes with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Pour the liquid into wire strainer set over large bowl. Discard the residual bits in the strainer and transfer the strained liquid to a fat separator. Allow to settle for five minutes so the fat floats to the top.

Pour the liquid into a 12-inch skillet. Add the remaining ? cup of Guinness and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Whisk the cornstarch and the remaining ? cup of beef broth. Add the cornstarch mixture to the liquid in the skillet, stirring constantly until the gravy thickens. Adjust the seasonings.

Wipe out the slow cooker; return the cooked beef, potatoes, and carrots to the slow cooker; add the thickened gravy. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Serve with traditional Irish soda bread and Irish butter on the side.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Beef chuck is the preferred meat to use in this recipe. Its connective tissue and fat break down during the slow cooking process, resulting in tender, succulent meat.

It’s important to properly brown the beef that has been generously seasoned with salt and pepper before adding it to the other ingredients. Browning the beef produces the Maillard reaction that contributes to the overall deliciousness of the stew.

Deglazing the pan after cooking the onions is an important step in scraping up the flavorful browned bits stuck to the skillet's bottom.

You can substitute chicken broth for the beef broth in this recipe.

You can substitute red wine if you don’t want to use Guinness in this recipe. The taste will differ slightly, but the stew will still be delicious.

Chula King is the blogger behind PudgeFactor.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Slow cooker works magic in easy Irish Guinness Beef Stew recipe